Our Man in Paris is Ric Erickson, editor of MetropoleParis. His weekly columns appear here and often in a slightly different version the next day on his site from Paris, with photographs.

Saturday, 01:00, the tail end of Friday night in Montparnasse
in the rue Fermat, between Daguerre and rue Cels.Matt says, no, he isn't going
to have a drink in the Bistro 48 and he goes down Daguerre towards the avenue.He
thought of the Zango earlier, but we went over to the Portuguese café and sat on its terrace.Two roller kids glided out of a small street, followed by a Twingo, and they zoomed across the intersection totally
carefree.He thought I had two euros but it was only two 50 cent pieces, so we
short-changed the café guy.He knew it but Matt didn't.I showed Matt the North Korean consulate or whatever it is.I
said they were there because it was close to the Baptist place on the avenue.After
Matt left Dimitri came along on his bike and stopped in the road, and we had a cigarette.He had been at Bastille.He said everything was wide open over there.A car came creeping by and we moved a bit closer to the gutter but we stayed in the
street.In Montparnasse you stop and talk wherever you happen to be.He said Dennis was back.Maybe he'll make his carbonera again.It's the beginning of a new season.It's
beginning by using weather leftover from summer.